After more than a decade playing Kelly Severide on Chicago Fire, Taylor Kinney has earned plenty of influence behind the scenes. But despite his experience, there's one thing the longtime star deliberately avoids: trying to take creative control and influence the writers, especially after a script has been completed.
Speaking during Empire Conventions' Saving Lives Con 2 in France, Kinney and his Chicago Fire co-star Miranda Rae Mayo participated in a Q&A with fans, who were eager to find out more about the upcoming 15th season of the show. During the Q&A, one fan asked the duo about their hopes for their characters in the season ahead, which prompted Kinney to open up about the creative process and shine a light on the work that goes into crafting the stories told on the show.
Kinney explained that while cast members often bring ideas to set, he makes a conscious effort to trust the creative process rather than push back against scripts that have already been approved. For him, respecting the writers and staying flexible is a key part of the job.
“Everybody’s creative, comes with ideas, and I think you do your work, you do your prep, and you create on the day and stay malleable. If you get something in your head, an idea that gets shot down, or something doesn’t go your way, you don’t want to be too reactive to that and then salty when you show up. Then you’re just upset,” Kinney told fans in attendance.
“You can come with good intentions, but again, I have a lot of respect for the writers, what they do, what they create, and what they put down,” he continued. “It can be undermining to come to the table, especially late after a script comes out; you’re going against the grain if you throw other ideas after something has come out because it gets approved by the studio and the network, and there are a lot of things involved.”
To Kinney, the only thing he hopes in looking ahead to season 15 is that he continues to get the opportunity to work closely with Mayo.
“I just hope I get to continue working with [Miranda] and I love what our characters have done, but for the most part I defer [to the writers],” Kinney added.
Kinney’s remarks truly speak to his character and the respect he holds not just for the writers crafting the storylines that the cast then brings to life through their performances but for all those involved in the production of the show.
As No. 1 on the call sheet, Kinney could easily press for changes to the script, and we’re sure there have been times when he’s likely voiced his opinions about the direction the writers have taken him. However, it’s clear through his comments that he recognizes the work that goes into crafting the script and getting it to the finish line, and he makes a point to never try to push an agenda, especially once the script has been approved.
That trust in the writers has definitely paid off as Severide has gotten many amazing storylines over the years, and he’s been on quite a journey since season 1. Sure, there have been times when we couldn’t appreciate a storyline in the moment, but the show always has a way to pay off the storylines it introduces, so it’s unsurprising that Kinney puts his trust in the writers and the process.
You can watch Kinney and Mayo's full Empire Conventions' Saving Lives Con 2 Q&A session below:
Chicago Fire season 15 premieres Wednesday, October 7, at 9/8c on NBC!
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